Superhighway



May 17, 1927. 1,628,935 i D. L. TURNER ET AL SUPERHIGHWAY Filed Aug. 3, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnnnunnnnnn D f,

annum-muuu y, unnnnnnnnunn/ H'nnnnunnnn 61H01 ums Patented May 17, 1927.

DANIEL L'. TURNER AND JOHN 1. HaLm'HAmjornErRoir, mcnIGAN.

sUPERHIGHwAsL The invention relates to the construction of so-called super-highways for accommodating both fast. and slow traflic on rails and on paved roadways.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the intersection of two super-highways;

Figure 2-- is a plan view of the superhishway; I

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the crossin of two' super-highways on the`line 3 3 o Figures 2 and 4;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional eleva'- tion on the line 4 4 of'Figures 2- and 3.

In general, the super-highway hereinafter referred to comprises acentral zone of sufficient width to provide for four parallel railway tracks and on each side of this zone there is a paved roadway for carrying vehicular traliic 1n oppos1te d1rect1ons. Each roadway is preferably dividedv into parallel lanes used respectively Ifor the high andV the low speed traiqthe high speed lane being adjacent to the central rail zone.

It is the primary object of .the superhighway to provide unobstructed lanes for the through traiiic both on railsand on roadways and to accomplish this purpose it is necessary to eliminate all intersections lat grade with crossing streets. No attempt.

however, is made to vseparate the-grade of the super-hlghway with every street run'nlng at rightangles thereto, since this would greatly increase the construction costs without securing any 'benefits commensurate therewith. Therefore, at certain definite intervals, say everyhalf mile, a cross street is selected as a main thoroughfare and has its grade separated from the super-highways, while the intermediate streets parallel to the thoroughfare terminate at each sidel of the super-highway and cannot be used .for .directly crossingthe same.

The construction 'of the .crossing of a super-highway anda'main thoroughfare is preferably carriedv out lin accordance with the plans described in ounce-.pending application, Serial Number 47 ,973, filed Aug. 3, 1925. In generalythis crossing construction comprises 'an elevation of the rail. zoneand the through traiiic lanesabove the grade of the crossing thoroughfare and lthe depression of the low speed lanes'to intersect withv the thoroughfare. Such a construction is illustratedA in Figure 1 which shows the crossing in perspective view.

Application mea august a, 1925. serial No. 47,974.

The.. high speed lanes are preferably sepv arated from the low speed lanes by curb ing, shrubbery, or other suitable means, but

`frequentv points of inter-communication are provided.` W'herever a cross street not designated -as a thoroughfare communicates with the superhighway, the lanes are always separated so that ya vehicle from the cross street must first turn into the lowv speed lane and can only gain access to the high-speed lane at the next point of intercommunication Vhenever a super-highway meets a crossing super-highway, of' the same general character, provision is made for the uninterrupted travel of the vehicles on `the high speed lanes of each highway. A crossing of lsuch a character is illustrated in Figure 3,

and it will be noted that in this case, the

low speed lanes of eachssuper-highway intersect at the normal gradewhile the high speed lanes and railway tracks 'of one super-high` way are elevated to pass over the intersecting low speedlanes and the high speed lanes and rail traffic of the other super-highway are correspondingly depressed to pass under the normal grade.

Referring now more specifically to the crossing construction for two super-highways, A and A represent the local roadways of-one -highway andB and B, of the othei` highway. these roads intersecting at the. normal ground level. D and D are the eX- press roadwaysof the elevated'highway between which are arranged the tracks E, E', E2 and E". The stations F and F"for the rail traffic may be entered by means of stairways G, leading to the normal ground level beneath the tracks and express roadways. H and H are the express roadways ofthe depressed crossing super-highway between which are located the tracks J, JT, J2 and J3. Stations I and I for the depressed tracks may be entered -by the stairways K eadling downward from the normal ground eve From the above description, it rwill be apparent that the cro's'sing` construction for two super-highways `provides vexpress lanes for the vehicular traffic ,which are entirely uninterrupted.v When it is desired to transf the low speed lane .to the intersection off the crossing low speed lane. The vehicle may lanes and the high speed lane of the otherhighway being depressed to lpass under said low speed lanes.

2. A highway crossing construction comprising parallel high speed and low speed lanes extending in one direction,4 parallel high speed and low speed lanes eiitending in a transverse direction, the low speedlanes of each highway intersecting at the same level, the high speed lanes of one highwaybeing elevated above said low speed lanes -at the point of crossing and the high speed lanes of theother highway being depressed below said low speed lanes at said crossing; upwardly inclined portions connecting the elevated lanes on opposite sides of said crossing, and downwardly inclined portions connecting said depressed lanes on the opposite sides of said crossing.

3. A highway crossing construction com prising two transversely extending highways, each comprising a central zone having railway tracks therein, and roadways on opposite sides of said zones and separated vided into parallel high speed and low speed lanes at the same grade, the low speed lanes of each highway continuing at the same level and intersecting with each other, the high speed lane of one, highway being elevated above said low speed lanes at the point of crossing and the high speed lanes of the other highway being depressed below said low speed lanes at said crossing.

4. A super-highwaycomprising a central railway zone, roadways on each side of said zone and separated therefrom, each roadway comprising parallel high speed and low speed lanes at substantially the same grade, transverse streets terminating on opposite sides of said high speed lanes and intercommunicating with said low speed lanes, transverse thoroughfares crossing said high speed lanes and railway zone at the grade of saidlow speed lanes, said high speed lanes Aand railway zone being separated in grade from said low speed lanes at the crossing" point to provide unobstructedright of way, and a crossing super-highway having a low speed and high speed`- lane, thei low speed lanes'of each of said Super-highways intercommunicating at the same grade and the high speed lanes of each being separated in grade from each other and from said low speed lanes.

`In testimony whereof we afiix our signa-v tures.

DANIET; L. TURNER. JOHN P. HALLIHAN.` 

